$9.3-million price tag for cycle track drives debate

Amanda Stephenson and TAMARA GIGNAC, Calgary Herald04.12.2014

The city’s proposed cycle track network would feature separated, two-way cycle lanes running north-south on 1st Street S.E. and 5th Street S.W., and east-west-routes on 8th Avenue and 12 Avenue S. the 8th Avenue lane would include the pedestrian section of Stephen Avenue.
A one-way cycle track would also run on 8th Street S.W. between 10th Avenue and 17th Avenue, connecting to the existing bike lane on 7th Street, which opened in 2013.Provided by the City of Calgary
/ Calgary Herald

The city’s proposed cycle track network would feature separated, two-way cycle lanes running north-south on 1st Street S.E. and 5th Street S.W., and east-west-routes on 8th Avenue and 12 Avenue S. the 8th Avenue lane would include the pedestrian section of Stephen Avenue.
A one-way cycle track would also run on 8th Street S.W. between 10th Avenue and 17th Avenue, connecting to the existing bike lane on 7th Street, which opened in 2013.Provided by the City of Calgary
/ Calgary Herald

The city’s proposed cycle track network would feature separated, two-way cycle lanes running north-south on 1st Street S.E. and 5th Street S.W., and east-west-routes on 8th Avenue and 12 Avenue S. the 8th Avenue lane would include the pedestrian section of Stephen Avenue.
A one-way cycle track would also run on 8th Street S.W. between 10th Avenue and 17th Avenue, connecting to the existing bike lane on 7th Street, which opened in 2013.Provided by the City of Calgary
/ Calgary Herald

Related

The cost of a proposed downtown bike network has been pegged at $15 million, but councillors who support the program say that’s small change compared to the dollars spent every year on public transit and roadway maintenance.

On Wednesday, a council committee will debate a proposal by the city’s transportation department to introduce five dedicated cycling tracks for a one-year trial starting in the summer of 2015. The pilot project will cost about $9.3 million, plus an additional $5.2 million if the project is deemed a success and the cycling infrastructure is made permanent.

City officials say right now, 2.5 per cent of daily downtown transportation is done on bicycle, and they want to see that increase to four per cent. The city estimates that over the next two decades, 40,000 additional people will have jobs downtown, and — without the ability to build new roads in the core — there are real concerns about how Calgary will handle the impending commuter crunch.

“You simply can’t stuff more cars downtown. This a $9 million investment on a network that will really open up a whole other mode of access,” said Ward 9 Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra.

“I think it’s an important and necessary thing in the evolution of our city.”

Ward 8 Coun. Evan Woolley said it’s not unusual for the city to spend nearly twice the cost of the cycle network on one intersection upgrade — an expenditure that is rarely criticized. He said the benefits of the bike network are clear — a less crowded LRT system, fewer cars on the road, cleaner air, and healthier residents.

“We’re always talking about what the thing costs, and there’s no discussion about return on investment,” Woolley said. “This is a very, very small amount of money that will have a huge benefit for Calgarians.”

The network would feature separated, two-way cycle lanes running north-south on 1st Street S.E. and 5th Street S.W., and east-west-routes on 8th Avenue and 12 Avenue S. the 8th Avenue lane would include the pedestrian section of Stephen Avenue.

A one-way cycle track would also run on 8th Street S.W. between 10th Avenue and 17th Avenue, connecting to the existing bike lane on 7th Street, which opened in 2013.

Upkeep of the network will require $540,000 per year. But if the project is ultimately scrapped, the price tag to remove all five tracks would be about $2 million.

Woolley said in order for it to be a proper pilot project, the city must build the entire network.

“When you’re building out a road network, the roads have to connect. In order for it to be successful, it has to fit together,” he said.

But not everyone is convinced. Ward 1 Coun. Ward Sutherland said while he’s not against trying out cycle tracks in some form, he’s concerned about an “all-or-nothing” approach.

“With the current network that’s being proposed, how do we know it isn’t an overbuild to begin with?” Sutherland asked. “We should try an east-west and a north-south track, test it for a year and get actual, real-life numbers. Have that determine whether or not the network should be expanded.”

Sutherland added he believes the city’s desire to have “world-class” facilities could push it into making a bad decision.

“I’m not against cyclists at all, so yeah, let’s test it out,” he said. “But from my residents, I can tell you, I’m hearing 90 per cent are not in favour of this.”

Ward 5 Coun. Ray Jones said the vast majority of calls he gets are also opposed to the project, but added he has not made up his own mind.

“I’m going in open-minded. I see the benefit of those cycle tracks, but I see the other side’s point of view on the costs,” Jones said.

Calgary’s commercial real estate industry has expressed concern about the proposed plan. In a letter addressed to the city’s transportation and transit committee, the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) said its members believe the vast majority of downtown users don’t cycle, and adding cycle tracks will create congested roads for vehicles and buses.

But in an Op-Ed in the Herald, Calgary Economic Development CEO Bruce Graham said inner-city cycle tracks in other cities have resulted in increased retail sales and improved customer volumes at local businesses. He added a cycle network would also improve Calgary’s “social reputation” and would be one more selling point for people considering relocating here.

The installation of five cycle tracks means some 260 parking spaces will disappear — particularly on 12 Avenue and 8 Avenue — but the city has pledged to add angled parking stalls on side streets and modify median barriers to allow for curbside parking.

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